Recently, residents living near Fort Lyon have reached out to the news department at CNYW to state they are still concerned about the lack of security at Ft. Lyon, operated by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Since we have been covering news in Southeast Colorado, Ft. Lyon remains a topic of interest to many.
We reached out to both candidates running for County Commissioner in Bent County District 1, the only contested race to get their views on how to tackle the community's concerns about the facility. We have posted the responses below in their entirety. The letter we sent to them with the questions is posted first with the responses from Bill Long and Jennifer Scofield to follow.
Email to candidates from CNYW:
Good afternoon,
Since you both are vying to be the next Bent County Commissioner for District one, I would -be interested in getting some answers to a few of the questions that have come up on Ft. Lyon.
As you might know, there was a community meeting/luncheon recently scheduled and then canceled. Many of the folks who planned to attend aren't happy and say they feel like there's not enough transparency.
There have been some recent attempted break-ins by residents of the program.
What would you do as commissioner to make sure that people who live near-by feel safe?
There's also some community concern that illegal immigrants might be brought to Ft. Lyon as we've seen in other parts of Colorado. Bent County Commissioners have already passed a resolution stating that Bent County would not be a sanctuary county. What would you do to ensure this doesn't happen?
Are you meeting with Ft. Lyon officials on a regular basis to learn about some basic stats?
How many are living there at the moment?
How many have graduated from the program?
How many are now employed by Ft. Lyon?
How does Ft. Lyon vet residents who move into the Fort and go through the program?
Does the Fort accept violent criminals who've committed crimes against persons?
It's been said that the Fort doesn't have a budget for security.....Why not? Shouldn't this be an expense the state takes care of since the Department of Local Affairs is involved with the program Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
This is just a starting point for the many questions the community has about the program given recent incidents of concern.
Thank you for providing us with some answers so that we may share them with voters.
Response from County Commissioner Candidate Bill Long (I)
I have copied and pasted your questions below and will answer them in that order in blue text.
There have been some recent attempted break-ins by residents of the program.
What would you do as commissioner to make sure that people who live near-by feel safe? As a commissioner I would meet with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless leadership. And, probably more important, it could be necessary to meet with the Department of Local Affairs, the state agency that funds the program. It is imperative that the state provides adequate funding for the program and specifically security. I know the Coalition has sought increased funding in recent years, but I don't know that any meaningful increase has been approved. It could also be necessary to engage our State Senator and Representative to seek the additional funding. In the short term, however, I would ask the Coalition if it is possible to reassign staff so that more security is provided and also speak to the sheriff about the patrol schedules in the area. Ultimately, the state needs to provide additional, permanent funding for increased security. The neighbors absolutely need to feel they are safe. Anything else is unacceptable.
There's also some community concern that illegal immigrants might be brought to Ft. Lyon as we've seen in other parts of Colorado. Bent County Commissioners have already passed a resolution stating that Bent County would not be a sanctuary county. What would you do to ensure this doesn't happen?
I fully support the resolution passed by the Bent County Commissioners regarding illegal immigration and would vigorously oppose the placement of illegal immigrants at Fort Lyon. As a commissioner, I would utilize every legal mechanism to oppose and fight the placement of illegal immigrants at Fort Lyon, including the courts via a lawsuit against the proponents of such a project if that step is necessary.
Are you meeting with Ft. Lyon officials on a regular basis to learn about some basic stats?
I would not say I have regular meetings with Fort Lyon officials, but I do have conversations with staff often and do have some general knowledge of the operation.
How many are living there at the moment? I don't have an exact number, but they generally have between 210 and 220 residents.
How many have graduated from the program? I don't know because I have not asked recently. The Coalition can provide that answer as well as other information in regard to participant success and how it is measured.
How many are now employed by Ft. Lyon? The Fort Lyon program employs over 50 full time employees as well as 10-15 program residents who have advanced through the program.
How does Ft. Lyon vet residents who move into the Fort and go through the program? I am not sure I understand your question. If you are referring to military veterans, I know they receive priority to enter the program. The Coalition can provide a more complete answer.
Does the Fort accept violent criminals who've committed crimes against persons? The Coalition runs background checks on all applicants before final approval to enter the program. Depending on the crime and when it took place, the applicant may or may not be approved to participate. Anyone required by the courts to register as a sex offender is not accepted to participate in the Fort Lyon program.
It's been said that the Fort doesn't have a budget for security.....Why not? I know they have individuals designated as safety/security positions. I don't know more than that. Shouldn't this be an expense the state takes care of since the Department of Local Affairs is involved with the program Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. As I have stated, the Department of Local Affairs and the legislature should provide adequate funding for security.
Thanks again
Bill
Response from Jennifer Scofield (R), Candidate for Bent County Commissioner D1
What would you do as commissioner to make sure that people who live near-by feel safe?
Holding a meeting with Fort Lyon officials and the community would be a start. I also believe the commissioners should be meeting with officials on a regular basis so we are well informed on how the program is doing as well as being able to relay community questions and concerns.
There's also some community concern that illegal immigrants might be brought to Ft. Lyon as we've seen in other parts of Colorado. Bent County Commissioners have already passed a resolution stating that Bent County would not be a sanctuary county. What would you do to ensure this doesn't happen? We have to work with our Sheriffs office to set up a way to enforce that resolution. There is legislation in place that makes that difficult, but if we work together we can come up with a plan to keep our community safe.
Are you meeting with Ft. Lyon officials on a regular basis to learn about some basic stats? I toured the facility a few months ago with Lisa Trigilio and was given some information at that time.
How many are living there at the moment? I don't have the current numbers
How many have graduated from the program? I don't have the current numbers
How many are now employed by Ft. Lyon? I don't have the current numbers
How does Ft. Lyon vet residents who move into the Fort and go through the program?
Fort Lyon Admissions Criteria:
Application must be completed in its entirety including referral source information.When reviewing applications, the following criteria is used to determine acceptance.
Most important: Applicant has a desire to work on recovery.
Returning Residents should refer to the Readmission Policy.
Homeless or at risk of losing their housing. An example of "at risk" might be someone couch surfing or living with someone that may be asking them to leave due to their SUD.
18 years of age or older.
Colorado resident for at least 6 months.
Admission cannot be a condition of probation or parole.
If on parole or released from lengthy incarceration, there must be a minimum of 6 months of independent living prior to acceptance.
Have no open cases. Applicant must have all cases closed prior to coming into the program. We are not able to accept those that are incompetent to stand trial, on bond, or acceptance will be used to modify sentencing or plea agreements.
No recent violent charges on background.
We struggle with those with arson on their background since housing is our goal. If someone is really advocating and that is the only hold up, we will probably accept.
No registered sex offenders.
Mental Health Illness or tri-morbid clinical conditions are treatable by Psych/BHP/Medical Staff. Also, non-clinical staff can manage the behavior.
Other important information:
It is very important resident arrives with at least thirty supply of all required medications and 30 refill.
Detox requirements: Must be safely detoxed from their drug of choice. See detox requirements.
We look at mobility issues. We want to welcome everyone, but applicant must understand this is a large campus and elevators may not be operating at times.
Required Documents:
Applications completed in its entirety, including referral source signatures.
Completed medical information (included in application)
Does the Fort accept violent criminals who've committed crimes against persons? I was told, no
It's been said that the Fort doesn't have a budget for security.....Why not? Shouldn't this be an expense the state takes care of since the Department of Local Affairs is involved with the program Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. I don't know why they don't have security in their budget, but my opinion is they should.
Thank you for reaching out and as I gain more information I will be glad to relay it to you.
Jennifer Scofield
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